Sonia Davidson

A group of medical students was followed over a 30-year period to observe the effect of anger on their blood pressure and hearts. The medical students who became angry quickly when under stress were found to be three times more likely to develop premature heart disease and five times more likely to have an early heart attack than their calmer colleagues in the 2002 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Vol. 162, No. 8).

Other researchers have found that expressing anger, then turning a metaphorical back on it, is not necessarily harmful unless the anger manifests as extreme rage.

Resentment and hostility are particularly toxic to the human body. They cause a protracted state of arousal which keeps a person feeling continuously threatened in the absence of real danger.

This extreme demand on the immune system (our natural defence mechanism) ultimately impairs its effectiveness and undermines its ability to protect us, thus increasing our vulnerability to disease.

Sustained arousal

Such a sustained state of arousal is associated with high levels of a stress-inducing chemical called cortisol. Cortisol causes the body to release into the blood stream, energy in the form of sugar. Because the sugar is not needed at that time, the body is faced with the dilemma of storing it as fat or overwork the pancreas in an attempt to produce the blood sugar-regulating hormone called insulin.

Overwork of the pancreas may lead ultimately to its failure to control blood sugar, resulting in diabetes and over production of blood fat resulting in high levels of blood cholesterol.

Irritability and hostility are also associated with high levels of a chemical called homocysteine, which increases the risk of heart attacks.

Based on their observations, some researchers now theorise that it's not just getting angry, but the physical stress of being angry for longer periods of time that takes its toll on our health. Remember the biblical admonition: "Do not let the sun go down on your wrath."

People who cope with anger constructively, such as by working to solve the problem that made them angry, have lower resting blood pressure than people with fewer coping skills.

Love or fear

An interesting finding in the research of human emotions is that the body chemistry of someone who is experiencing the emotion commonly called love, is the opposite to that which is found in a state of anger or fear. How right was the bible when it tells us "perfect love casteth out fear."

The chemistry of love is an explosion of neurochemicals very similar to adrenalin. These chemicals are associated with feelings enthusiasm, energy and even joy.

Phenylethylamine (found in chocolate) and dopamine make us glow and feel good about ourselves and about life and make us feel safe and secure.

Norepinephrine gives us a rush of energy and confidence.

Endorphins are associated with calmness and stability.

Oxytocin is associated with tenderness and caring.

No wonder then that researchers are finding that people are healthier, who are in stable relationships and who belong to caring communities such as church groups. Many such studies validate and explain the science behind this phenomenon.

Love is therefore an important antidote to anger and the inducer of forgiveness. The extent to which you can love another is the extent to which you can love and forgive your own self.

Your relationship with yourself is your closest and most important relationship. It is the one on which you can most reliably depend. If you unconditionally accept yourself and love yourself, it will be near impossible for anyone to keep you in a sustained state of anger.

Dr. Sonia Davidson MD, general practitioner, advocate of integrative medicine and minister of religious science; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.